https://instagr.am/p/DecM_GrIVKA

Hollinger's rankings of the West:

1 Thunder
2 Spurs
3 Rockets
4 Nuggets
5 Lakers
6 TPups
7 Blazers
8 Jazz

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News flash: The Spurs will be awesome again. Even if Victor Wembanyama misses a few games and the shooting comes and goes, it would be a major upset if this team didn't land one of the three or four best records in the NBA and make another deep playoff run.
If anything, the Spurs strengthened their roster by adding a legit starting power forward in Tobias Harris. I'm not sure they needed to draft two backup centers when they already had one of the league's best in Luke Kornet, and you'd like to see another knockdown shooter on their bench, but those are quibbles about a team whose top nine is loaded.

The upgrades went deeper. Low-key, the back end of the bench was indefensibly awful for a contending team last season. The Spurs might not need those guys, but the talent level of the last five roster spots is clearly better this time around.

This team is built to last, too, with three of the four best players still in their early 20s. Wembanyama taking a sub-supermax extension only adds to San Antonio's good fortune from landing high picks in three straight lotteries. Dylan Harper enters his second season looking like a star in the making, Stephon Castle is already among the league's best defenders and most physical finishers, and the role players (Harris, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie) are legit good in their own right.


If there's a fail point for this team, it's in the backcourt, where there might almost be too much talent. Castle's and Harper's futures exist uneasily beside the presence of current second option De'Aaron Fox. The latter's struggles in the NBA Finals, while owing in part to a right ankle injury, also underscored the tension between the two ascendant talents and the player whose four-year, $222 million extension begins this fall.

For now, the Spurs are in good enough shape, salary-wise, that they can keep all three for as long as each can handle the division of minutes and touches. However, it seems almost inevitable that the Spurs would want to cash in their stock on one of these players for their version of OG Anunoby (who tormented them in the finals), and Harris' two-year deal seems almost perfectly timed to give the Spurs the runway to do so.

If the Spurs want to cut deals, they don't lack for options. In addition to the young talent on the roster (a list that also includes recent first-rounders Carter Bryant, Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed) and the expiring contracts of Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes, it's easy to forget the Spurs' formidable asset pile. They are sitting on an unprotected 2027 first-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks and three future swaps from other teams (in 2028, 2030 and 2031). The Spurs also have all their own future firsts to put in a deal except for the 2027 one, which went out in the Fox trade.

As a result, the bar in San Antonio is incredibly high: Beat Oklahoma City again to win the West, and finish the job in June. They have the pieces to do it; only one team in my estimation has a better chance of winning the title. Still, anything less sends the Spurs back to the drawing board, with the Fox question likely taking center stage.

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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7655950/2026/10/14/nba-predictions-thunder-spurs-lakers-timberwolves/

DAZN off to a hot start with no audio tonight

First five minutes of the Fox-Bryant-Castle lineup was a bust.

LawHall88 said:

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First five minutes of the Fox-Bryant-Castle lineup was a bust.

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Fox-Harper-Castle

3 pts in 5 mins isn't good?

2008and1 said:

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LawHall88 said:

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First five minutes of the Fox-Bryant-Castle lineup was a bust.

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Fox-Harper-Castle

3 pts in 5 mins isn't good?

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Ha, right. I've made that mistake more than once.

I would definitely say "not good."

Following. Excited for the season.

Spurs might’ve done it again w/ Tarris Reed Jr man https://t.co/TTRG4nyRg7 pic.twitter.com/hcNMykmvAk

— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) October 15, 2026

Carter Bryant would make 1000 shots a day over Summer:

“My first workout was 4 in the morning, then I was going at 7, come back home, go back to workout about 3-4 o’clock and then I’ll go shoot in the evening.”

What motivated him? “I was a Kobe Bryant guy.”#GoSpursGo #PorVida pic.twitter.com/sDqFvKong6

— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) October 15, 2026

I have a great feeling g about this season so long as we stay healthy.

https://www.nba.com/webview/news/2026-27-nba-gm-survey

NBA's annual GM survey is interesting.

53% have us first and 43% have us 2nd in the West.

Who will win the 2026-27 Kia MVP?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 77%
2. Nikola Joki, Denver 10%
3. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota 7%

If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 93%
Also receiving votes: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City; Cooper Flagg, Dallas

Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 47%
2. Nikola Joki, Denver 33%
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City 10%
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State 7%

Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2026-27?
1. Dylan Harper, San Antonio 27%
T-2. Cooper Flagg, Dallas 7%

Who is the best power forward in the NBA?
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami 70%
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 23%

Who is the best center in the NBA?
1. Nikola Joki, Denver 63%
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 37%

What was the most underrated player acquisition?
1. Tobias Harris, San Antonio 20%
2. Mitchell Robinson, Boston 17%
3. Naz Reid, Charlotte 10%

Who is the best international player in the NBA?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 53%
2. Nikola Joki, Denver 47%

Who is the best defensive player in the NBA?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 97%
2. Ausar Thompson, Detroit 3%

Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA?
1. Amen Thompson, Houston 30%
T-2. Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City 17%
T-2. Ausar Thompson, Detroit 17%
4. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta 10%
T-5. Stephon Castle, San Antonio 7%


Who is the most versatile defender in the NBA?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 30%
2. Amen Thompson, Houston 17%
3. Scottie Barnes, Toronto 13%

Which is the best defensive team in the NBA?
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 77%
2. San Antonio Spurs 20%

Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?
1. Jeff Van Gundy, LA Clippers 17%
2. Billy Donovan, San Antonio 13%
Also receiving votes: Scott King and Corliss Williamson.

Which team is the most fun to watch?
T-1. Minnesota Timberwolves 30%
T-1. San Antonio Spurs 30%

Which team has the most promising young core?
1. San Antonio Spurs 87%

Which player is the fastest with the ball?
1. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 53%
2. De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio 17%

Who is the most versatile player in the NBA?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio 57%
2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto 17%

So consensus that he will win MVP but not that he is the best at his position

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7687247/2026/10/16/spurs-nba-predictions-wemby-dylan-harper/?unlocked_article_code=1.JFE.O6O7.Ikrg34o1SK_M&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

Jared Weiss' 8 predictions:

WembVP
Everything is in place for Victor Wembanyama to make the leap to NBA MVP.


Three-guard lineup will start opening night

There really is no right answer to choose starters on this team. There are several viable combinations. Moving Dylan Harper to the starting lineup is not optimal. It doesn't fit a system around Wembanyama based on the last decade we've watched of post-modern, outside-in basketball. It shrinks the floor for a player who needs spacing to get close enough to the rim to throw the ball through it.

But the Spurs already bucked some conventions in Mitch Johnson's first full season and built something that worked well. The structure of the system held up in the playoffs, but the execution from the Spurs' young studs wasn't good enough in the end. That will improve again this season, just as it did in the last.

Last year proved that having multiple ballhandlers with great floater range can work alongside Wembanyama. The Spurs saw that as long as help defenders were pushed out toward the corners, their guards could get deep enough into the defense to have multiple options. They were middle of the pack in 3-point percentage and frequency, which is good enough with their downhill scoring and defense. If they replace Julian Champagnie with Harper, they will likely see the frequency from that spot in the lineup cut in half. The upside is that it will give the offense more flow and unpredictability, taking some burden off Wembanyama and increasing his stamina late in games.
[url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7691822/2026/10/15/spurs-deaaron-fox-dylan-harper-stephon-castle-lineup/][/url]
It's also a reflection of San Antonio's push to make the offense more role-agnostic. During the preseason, Wembanyama has both brought the ball up the floor and advanced it to the frontcourt before flipping it to a guard and immediately going into a screen action. Stephon Castle and Harper can both serve as screeners and cutters, plus they can drive at soft closeouts when their shot isn't being challenged and still keep the play moving. There are a lot of ways this can work, even if it will go through cold streaks.

Johnson's decision to roll with that lineup in the preseason opener before De'Aaron Fox was a late scratch indicates that it's very much in play for opening night. And even if it's not, it has to be the eventual plan for this team, at least this season. Moving Harper to the starting lineup is more about maximizing his minutes allocation than making him feel like a star or optimizing the rotation fit. It's an investment in his growth, a belief that, come playoff time, the Spurs will have figured out their spacing and rhythm enough to create an offense that can withstand playoff defenses.

There will be another midseason lineup change

Johnson will feel the pressure to make a move when a starter goes cold. His challenge will be to maintain the harmony and rhythm of the team when things aren't working. Will he keep it steady through adversity to get everyone to buy into their places in the rotation, or will he tinker frequently to keep up the team's efficiency?
Expect some sort of shift as slumps and injuries pile up. Whether it's starting with the same structure as last year with two wings, then eventually going to the three-guard lineup (or vice-versa), or if it's swapping out one wing for another to balance the second unit, something will eventually change.

Wemby will find his go-to action

Wembanyama's inability to find his shot was the glaring weakness in Wembanyama's game that was exacerbated deeper in the playoffs. Every great player has a few go-tos that you know are coming and simply can't stop.

There is one action in particular that should be his bread and butter: the short-roll jumper. This is a play the Spurs can break out like clockwork, a high pick-and-roll where he can catch the ball at the free-throw line and go right into a shot. No dribble needed. He hit one each against the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns in the preseason, good examples of how efficient he can be when he is decisive and keeps it simple.

Carter Bryant's minutes will become a talking point

He's the exact kind of player who breaks into rotations as a second-year wing, but there's hardly any room for him now. With Harris in place, it's hard to see how Bryant's 11.5 minutes-per-game average from last year gets a bump. But when he strings together a hot shooting month, there's going to be vigorous debate over whether the team should make a trade to clear room for him.

Regression time coming in the wing department

Someone will take a step back this season. Someone almost always does. If Bryant is going to find more minutes, they will come at the expense of someone else, and someone is just about always playing banged up after a finals run, leading to a decline in productivity. Keldon Johnson who is entering a contract year and Devin Vassell are the longest-tenured Spurs and logged a lot of miles last year. Harris enters the season with a calf strain and is already in his mid-30s. Barnes' productivity dropped off last season, but he has continued to get regular rotation minutes during the preseason while Harris has been out. Something won't go according to plan.


Castle will be the Spurs' second All-Star

Fox made the All-Star Game last season as the final injury replacement. Meanwhile, Harper is getting all the preseason attention. But quietly, Castle is best positioned to take the leap this season.

He shot 38 percent last season on catch-and-shoot 3s, which will be more abundant if Harper and Wembanyama are playmaking more. He should get an extra step into driving lanes this season, which allows him to get to his floater more easily. The team seems intent on playing even more in transition, and he loves playing at that speed. Castle is at the sweet spot of experience and opportunity, giving him a good shot at an All-Star berth that was just out of reach last season.

The Spurs will win the title

I expect offensive execution will be a problem again in the playoffs. Based on recent trends, injuries will come into play. The teams that make the finals are often the healthiest good teams. Despite Fox's ankle sprain, the Spurs were still the healthiest out of everyone last postseason.

And yet, their totality of talent and another solid step forward for Wembanyama should be enough to fight off a healthy Thunder team. We saw last year how the emotional and physical energy they expended reaching the finals hurt the Spurs against the Knicks. I'd expect them to be prepared for the moment this time.

They don't need to maximize every ounce of their roster to win a title. We saw that last year. A pre-prime Wemby, injured Fox and rookie Harper were still enough to get to the precipice. The Spurs have so much room for growth. I think they will make enough jumps to win the title.

OKC Thunder rookie center Aday Mara could be blocked from playing for the team this season 😳, per @BasketNews_com

“Basket Zaragoza have publicly challenged Aday Mara's move to the Oklahoma City Thunder, insisting that the rookie center remains under contract with the Spanish… pic.twitter.com/zlXGlGFwTt

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 16, 2026

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The club also said its position was already communicated after the 2026 NBA Draft to the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), FIBA, the NBA, and the Thunder.

Zaragoza argues that Mara's move to college basketball in 2023 did not terminate his existing contract, pointing out that FIBA does not require an international transfer for players moving to the NCAA.

"This does not mean that his departure terminated his contract or that he was excluded from the FIBA system," the club stated.

Zaragoza added that it intends to protect its contractual rights and is prepared to take "all necessary legal action."

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NBA teams are limited in how much money they can spend to buy out an international contract.

Thunder spokesperson on the status of rookie big man Aday Mara: “Aday last played three years of NCAA college basketball and therefore, as advised by the NBA, no clearance from the Spanish team is required for him to play in the NBA.”

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 16, 2026

LawHall88 said:

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Thunder spokesperson on the status of rookie big man Aday Mara: “Aday last played three years of NCAA college basketball and therefore, as advised by the NBA, no clearance from the Spanish team is required for him to play in the NBA.”

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 16, 2026

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The NBA doesn't care, but he still has a buyout that was never paid to Zaragoza, because he signed a contract with them through 2027. The buyout is only 700k, and the max a team can contribute is about 900k, so OKC likely just send them some cash and is done with it. Not one of those Ricky Rubio multi-million dollar buyouts where he needs to pay out of his pocket.

pic.twitter.com/cIgBJwWBEe

— Wemby (@wemby) October 16, 2026

Sabonis just wants to injure Wemby.

Guitarsoup said:

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pic.twitter.com/cIgBJwWBEe

— Wemby (@wemby) October 16, 2026

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Apparently nothing to do with basketball…and related to protests in France

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA WHAT ARE YOU ON?! 🔥🔥🔥

BLOCK AND THE SELF LOB pic.twitter.com/B4c47y7wb0

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 17, 2026

pic.twitter.com/eTyZmm5Q3q

— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) October 17, 2026

STEPHON CASTLE. pic.twitter.com/0clVLouqIw

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 17, 2026

Love this lineup

The Spurs starting lineup for the season opener, per Mitch Johnson:

De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Dylan Harper
Devin Vassell
Victor Wembanyama

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6hiYoRrYdJ

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) October 16, 2026

All I do is Nguyen said:

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Love this lineup

The Spurs starting lineup for the season opener, per Mitch Johnson:

De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Dylan Harper
Devin Vassell
Victor Wembanyama

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6hiYoRrYdJ

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) October 16, 2026

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All guys that can create, shoot the 3, get to the basket, and defend.

I'm not sure an exhibition game against Sacramento counts for much, but the Castle-Harper-Fox lineup killed it tonight. Helps when Fox is making the open 3s.

Keldon Johnson is a FREAK 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Gi8ZVKuim8

— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) October 17, 2026

LawHall88 said:

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I'm not sure an exhibition game against Sacramento counts for much, but the Castle-Harper-Fox lineup killed it tonight. Helps when Fox is making the open 3s.

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Last year all three were pretty good off the catch and pretty bad off the dribble. Fox was actually insanely good from the corners. Like 45% or something.

LawHall88 said:

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Sabonis just wants to injure Wemby.

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https://instagr.am/p/Dek8gjHjgXl

Guitarsoup said:

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LawHall88 said:

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I'm not sure an exhibition game against Sacramento counts for much, but the Castle-Harper-Fox lineup killed it tonight. Helps when Fox is making the open 3s.

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Last year all three were pretty good off the catch and pretty bad off the dribble. Fox was actually insanely good from the corners. Like 45% or something.

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We will have 5 starters that can drive and create on their own. Should be someone open for a catch and shoot 3 every play.

Guitarsoup said:

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Average Joe said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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LawHall88 said:

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I'm not sure an exhibition game against Sacramento counts for much, but the Castle-Harper-Fox lineup killed it tonight. Helps when Fox is making the open 3s.

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Last year all three were pretty good off the catch and pretty bad off the dribble. Fox was actually insanely good from the corners. Like 45% or something.

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We will have 5 starters that can drive and create on their own. Should be someone open for a catch and shoot 3 every play.

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I'm not worried about offense at all, but on defense, Castle is your second biggest player and rebounding with four guys that are 6'5.5 or shorter probably isn't ideal. Will be interesting to see how they match up, but your best POA defender becomes your undersized PF defender. He did great against Sengun last year, but it gives some reason for concern on that end of the court.

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That's where I think our depth really plays a huge part. Everyone you bring in off the bench gives us more size. Kornet will play opposite of Wemby most of the time, but Harris, Carter, Julian and Reed (I think we could end up seeing him more than we think) give you additional size whenever they are swapped out for a guard.

I'm really curious how rotations are going to go this season. We had a really big drop off in scoring with our second unit, but I don't know that we have to swap out entire lineups this season. I could see us running the three guard set to start the halves, but then go with something like Harper/Fox - Castle - Julian - Harris - Wemby for longer stretches in game.

Keldon Johnson told reporters after the game he dropped around 15, 20 pounds over the offseason:

"I feel like I'm better. I feel like all-around game I'm faster, just as strong...I'm moving good, my body feels good. And, overall, I just feel like I'm better." #Spurs

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) October 17, 2026

Average Joe said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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Average Joe said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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LawHall88 said:

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I'm not sure an exhibition game against Sacramento counts for much, but the Castle-Harper-Fox lineup killed it tonight. Helps when Fox is making the open 3s.

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Last year all three were pretty good off the catch and pretty bad off the dribble. Fox was actually insanely good from the corners. Like 45% or something.

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We will have 5 starters that can drive and create on their own. Should be someone open for a catch and shoot 3 every play.

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I'm not worried about offense at all, but on defense, Castle is your second biggest player and rebounding with four guys that are 6'5.5 or shorter probably isn't ideal. Will be interesting to see how they match up, but your best POA defender becomes your undersized PF defender. He did great against Sengun last year, but it gives some reason for concern on that end of the court.

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That's where I think our depth really plays a huge part. Everyone you bring in off the bench gives us more size. Kornet will play opposite of Wemby most of the time, but Harris, Carter, Julian and Reed (I think we could end up seeing him more than we think) give you additional size whenever they are swapped out for a guard.

I'm really curious how rotations are going to go this season. We had a really big drop off in scoring with our second unit, but I don't know that we have to swap out entire lineups this season. I could see us running the three guard set to start the halves, but then go with something like Harper/Fox - Castle - Julian - Harris - Wemby for longer stretches in game.

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Yeah, and with Minnesota going small by dumping Naz/Randle, teams don't have a lot of size in the West this year.

Not worried about OKC's size. Chet couldn't backdown Chris Paul.



The best PF on the Lakers is Mamu.

Castle has already dominated Sengun on defense.

Aaron Gordon could be a problem if he is healthy, but Cam Johnson isn't physical.

PHX has Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks. Take the ball out of Booker's hands. I'm good with that.

We need more of a perimeter guy on Deni, because his strength is driving. Camara is a spot up shooter.

Warriors are starting Gui Santos and Draymond.

Dallas has good forwards, but they should be a .500 team and at last a year away.

Utah has size with Nurk, JJJ, and Lauri, but they also have a LOT of softness. I think we bring in Reed/Kornet a lot against Nurk.

So in the West, going small really shouldn't hurt is much, and like you said, we have the size coming off the bench so we can shuffle things around when we need to. I just think the rebounding will definitely suffer with those 5.